The four-leaf clover is an interesting leaf to have since many people see it as a good luck charm. It is always preserved dry and in its natural form without tear or damage. When it is as dry as it was when it was fresh, then you have a 4-leaf clover that can last for many years.
How To Preserve a 4-left Clover: Proven Methods You Can Use
How to preserve a 4-leaf clover is easy and straightforward, and almost anyone can do it with minimum effort. You just have to follow the technique to achieve a fully dried and well-preserved cloverleaf and stalk.
Items you need to preserve your 4-leaf clover
- Heavy book
- Sheets of paper
- Scissors
- Glass-like packing tape
- Laminator and laminating sheet
- Picture frame
- Sealant or glue
Dry your 4-leaf clover by pressing
The first process to preserving your 4-leaf clover is to cut the stalk with the leaves and then place it within a big book. An old dictionary or phonebook will work; place the clover spread with the leaves fanned out in the thick middle of the book. It is best to use an old book that you have discarded for a long time since the book must absorb the moisture of the clover over a few weeks to dry it out.
If you are not interested in risking the integrity of your book, it is best you place two sheets of paper inside the book and then place your 4-leaf clover in the middle of the sheets. The sheets will absorb the moisture of the clover and it will not get to the book. Whether you place the clover between two sheets of paper placed within a book, or you place the clover directly inside the book – you must close the book tightly and hold it in place with tapes.
If you don’t want to use tapes to hold the book firmly closed together, you can place other books on top of the main book to weigh it down for a long period of time. Your clover must remain flattened out in the book for 2-3 weeks to dry completely. When it is completely dry, the clover will remain green and flattened in a way that looks crispy. But if the leaves remain damp after the period, it shows the book is placed in a humid place and should be moved to a drier location.
Dry the clover with a tape
You can also preserve your 4-leaf clover in glass-like packing tape. You can use the Scotch Ultra-Clear packing tape for this purpose if you choose. The center of the tape should fit around the length of the clover without touching the edges of the tape. Place the pressed clover inside the tape at the middle point and get it to stick to the surface firmly. Once this is done, you can cover the clover with another tape to get it firmly pressed and in shape.
When pressing the top tape over the bottom one on which the clover is placed, you must be careful that air bubbles are not trapped inside the top tape before closing it in. You must also ensure that there are no creases around the tape after closing it in to obtain a clearly preserved clover stalk and leaves.
You can use your scissors to trim away any excess tape around the clover if you like. You can even cut the tape into any shape you want, but the clover area must remain intact for preservation. You can then laminate the clover if you also want to go this route.
Laminate your 4-leaf clover for preservation
Another method to get your clover preserved is lamination. Place your 4-leaf clover inside the laminating sheet and feed the sheet into your laminator machine. Before this, the clover must be well-situated between the laminating sheets before it goes into the laminator.
And in case you want to preserve several 4-leaf clovers, ensure they are spaced out on the sheet before it is laminated. You can then cut out each clover piece from the laminated material if you so wish.
Preserve your clover in a glass frame
A fourth method for preserving your clover is by framing it in glass. You must first clean the picture glass frame to remove any dirt. You must then place long strips of acid-free paper along the four edges of the frame so that your clover can be beautiful against the backdrop of the acid-free paper strips. Once you have a perfect square or rectangular shape within the paper strips on the glass frame, you can then place your clover inside it and stick it in place with a little glue.
Once this is done, you can then spray with paper with aerosol sealant to coat the paper and preserve the clover for a long time. You must allow the sprayed paper to dry for 30 minutes in an airy place before placing it face down – at the clover side – on the glass frame. You can then place a sheet of mylar or BoPET behind the paper to keep it in place behind the glass frame.
Aluminum tape can then be applied to the edges of the paper and glass to keep everything firmly in place within the frame. Leave to dry for about one hour before putting up the glass for display in your living room or some other prominent place in your residence.
Display your dry clover in a prominent place
When your clover is well-pressed and preserved for future purposes, it is not ready for display. You may even want to put it up in a frame that can be hung in a conspicuous location in your living room. A 4-leaf clover frame is something people will be fascinated with. But you must keep it out of the reach of children so that they will not damage it anytime soon.
A well-preserved and stored clover can last for more than five years without getting bad. So there you have it: how to preserve 4-leaf clover for display or craft sales. Try your hands at it and let’s know how you fared in our feedback section.
